master_q 0 Posted July 29, 2003 Wow. It has been a while sense I really posted here (Or at least it seems that way). Probably the main reason is that I like more medium to hard core physics discussions and that’s one thing I miss about a place like StarTrek.com’s science board. I would say that that’s the best board they had and it seemed like spam was minimal compared to the other boards. That’s a board I miss, but now it is not really the same because most people left. I have been going (but rarely these days) to a private community that was dedicated to science / technology, but that community rarely gets any action these past few months. Finally I’m going to be doing some projects and going back to college (And that of course will limit my time here). For a project I’m doing or about to do it is for a program that goes through the college, but it is meant for and going to be used by high school. It is basically a workshop that instructors can use to teach a specific topic. About 4 months ago I did a workshop for physics / physical science teachers. It was basically something extra that they could use at the end of the year. It was on Relativity and I built a “webquest.” I mainly created it for an instructor that I knew. He has a doctors in chemistry. He teaches college & high school. In college he teaches chemistry and in high school he teaches physical sciences (for ninth grade) and environmental sciences. So through my college I made the webquest and he will use it next year for his freshmen. That was a lot of fun to make. Now I’m about it do another one of these workshops, but this time I’m making one for high school algebra - specifically polynomials. I’m not sure if I will build a webquest, but I’m going to make lots of worksheets and all of that. One of the biggest things that I don’t like about math is how the majority of instructors teach it. I don’t think a mathematics instructor should have the students quote steps and memorize equations. I say this because a student does not really learn anything from memorizing equations or memorizing useless steps. If students just does this, then they have not really learned anything. Let’s just say that I taught students how to factor with polynomials and gave them the steps. They memorized those steps and then I gave them a question. The question I gave them was a bit different then what they were use to and required them to understand what they did before (as in factoring polynomials). In short it was an original question to them which I did not teach them how to do. The most likely response would be once I gave them that kind of question would be “But we never did a problem like this!” This means that if I just had them memorize a bunch of steps they don’t really understand what they are doing and how they are doing it. Students come to see problems and their answers as the units of knowledge and fail to see common elements in novel or unique problems. So with this in mind . . . I’m going to actually create packets that are concept driven. For example one of the things that the students have to understand are exponent properties. I’m not going to give them a list of the rules. There is no way that I would do that. What I’m going to do in my concept driven packets is have them explore them. So they are going to explore Examine Define Define w/ formula notation That’s a very important thing to me and that’s my basis of what I’m going to be doing the next month or two. I will have the students deduce these rules. Like I said before I’m not sure if I will create a webquest to go along with this, but if I do (and I think there is a possibility that I might) it will be more of a traditional presentation which could be used a review. Topics that will be included in my project: ___1. Exponent Laws ___2. Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing polynomials ___3. Factoring & Solving Polynomials ___4. Concepts behind synthetically solving something (as in synthetic substitution) ___5. Rational Zero Theorem ___6. The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra Wish me luck! And I’ll probably post a few things more on the concepts I’m working on. (My posts will be more of a tradition look, of course) Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A l t e r E g o 9 Posted July 29, 2003 Wow MQ, you said a mouth full. Let be the first to wish you the best of luck in all of those workshops and whatever else you plan to be doing, Good Luck MQ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yillara Skye 1 Posted July 29, 2003 Good luck with all of that master_q! One of the biggest things that I don’t like about math is how the majority of instructors teach it. I don’t think a mathematics instructor should have the students quote steps and memorize equations. I say this because a student does not really learn anything from memorizing equations or memorizing useless steps. If students just does this, then they have not really learned anything. I agree completely. I do not hate math..however I do dislike how it is taught at any scholastic level. Elementary through college/university.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cptwright 1 Posted July 30, 2003 well good luck in all you do master q, i hope all works out for you. as far as science and tech talk, sorry we arent quite as knowledgable about it as others. but were still great to talk too. well again good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
master_q 0 Posted August 1, 2003 Thanks everyone. Some of the workshop might be shifted a bit so some of the topics that I will be working on might be a bit different Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goose 0 Posted August 1, 2003 Good luck with all of that master_q! One of the biggest things that I don’t like about math is how the majority of instructors teach it. I don’t think a mathematics instructor should have the students quote steps and memorize equations. I say this because a student does not really learn anything from memorizing equations or memorizing useless steps. If students just does this, then they have not really learned anything. I agree completely. I do not hate math..however I do dislike how it is taught at any scholastic level. Elementary through college/university.. Stardate:213581.9 I agree.That happened to us students alot last year in Advanced Alegbra.Our teacher would show us equations and steps and we would write them down and memorize how do do them.But when we did problems out of the text book we didn't know how to do them cause they were explained differently in the book.So I like your idea MQ.So with that said good luck!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
master_q 0 Posted August 4, 2003 Monday [today] back to college for research! (If you remember I said before that I not only just go to school for a degree but I help research there) So everything is coming back in gear for work. I’m excited and taunted at the same time (LOL). However, I did work at the college during parts of the summer (mainly the beginning). Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
